Women Lawyers in Saudi Arabia

Riyadh: Obstacles facing Saudi women lawyers have become a thing of the past. Female lawyers have now become part and parcel of the Kingdom’s judicial system as they practice the profession alongside their male counterparts. “We don’t face any problems and difficulties in carrying out our duty with responsibility,” said Bayan Zahran, a lawyer. “The situation of women lawyers is totally different from what was five years ago and we defend our clients inside the courts,” she added. Zahran referred to some of the difficulties female lawyers had to face five years ago, especially when they applied for license. “Officials used to express surprise when we applied for license. We have been successful in removing their apprehensions through hard work.” Speaking about major cases being handled by women lawyers, Zahran said: “We have been handling cases related to divorce, rights of divorcees, payment of alimony, reconciliation between couples, payment for housing and furniture, and issues related to married life.”